Hello, Hello, Anybody Out There?
by kurisu christina
Summary: Ringer 1x02, oneshot. Bridget was always the one messing up, and she just wants to help Juliet. Basically a novelization of the bathroom scene at the end of the episode.


**Disclaimer: I do not own the brand-new, awesome show Ringer, though I wish I did.**

**A?N: There are exactly four Ringer fics as far as I've seen. Obviously there's not enough of the show for me to be able to write an honest-to-goodness fic about Ringer, but I thought I'd do a novelization of the scene in Ringer when Bridget comforts Juliet in the bathroom. That touched me so much. Anyway, I hope you like it and the song is "Echo" by Jason Walker, it was on the newest Vampire Diaries. Who wasn't surprised when you found out Elena will have to die again for Klaus to be able to make hybrids?**

_Hello, hello_

_Anybody out there?_

_'Cause I don't hear a sound_

_Alone, alone_

_I don't really know where the world is but I miss it now_

I was sneaking out of the bedroom, hoping Andrew wouldn't wake up. It had been so nice to just lay there and watch him sleep, looking happier than he had for days. I wondered what had gone on between him and Siobhan, and for the first time I questioned how wonderfully perfect she had been. But now I had to leave that all behind and get out. Texting Malcolm, I was almost out the door when something caught my attention.

There was a little noise from the bathroom, quickly escalating into retching and gasps as someone threw up in what was presumably the toilet. When I went over and pushed the door open Juliet was kneeling in front of the toilet.

"Juliet?" I feigned surprise. I know all too well how hard it is to stop taking drugs, and I hadn't expected a little hangover to stop Juliet. It never stopped me.

She looked at me guiltily with red-rimmed eyes. "I took something at a bar and…now I feel weird."

"What did you take?" I asked.

"I don't know." admitted Juliet. "Some girl gave me a pill, I think it was orange."

As I mentally ran through a list of what she could have taken knew that now I wouldn't be able to leave, not without explaining it to Andrew and Juliet. "You want me to get your father?"

"N…no, Siobhan, please!" She begged, face pale. "D-Daddy will kill me…please…"

"Okay." I said. "What do you want me to do?"

Her voice cracked, shooting up an octave as she started to cry again. "Just…don't leave."

_Nine Years Ago_

_Lake Tahoe, Nevada_

_My headache was just starting to kick ij along with the nausea when I saw Siobhan walk into the bar. She was, as always, dressed perfectly, hair in place, makeup done by a professional, and clothes matching. She stopped to ask the bartender something before she headed my way. I put up a brave front…brave as I could muster in the circumstances._

"_I think I'm gonna be sick." I told her halfheartedly. At least it was true._

_She sighed. "How much did you drink?"_

"_Too much…and you need to pay him." The last part was added guiltily as I waved at the bartender._

"_Why?" It was always "why?" with Siobhan. It was "Why did you get so drunk? Why can't you stop? Why don't you see you could really hurt someone, Bridget? Why don't you try to fix it?" and I never had the answers. Not ones she would like._

"_I got fired." Icing on the cake, and the reason I got drunk._

_She rolled her eyes. "Are you kidding me?"_

"_No, and it's not my fault!" I said. "My boss was a total jerk."_

"_God, Bridget!" Siobhan said. "I left a date because I thought you were in trouble. You said it was an emergency…turns out you're just drunk and broke."_

"_I'm sorry—"_

"_You're not sorry." She said, voice even and uncaring. "You're selfish."_

"_What?" I said. She wouldn't really leave me here. "C'mon, Shiv, I need you tonight."_

_She shook her head in frustration. "No, you don't. You just need someone to clean up your mess, and I'm over it." Before I could stop her she had taken a wad of bills and slammed them on the table. "Here. This is for your bar tab and your ride home."_

"_Please don't go! Shiv—" I begged, but she was already sweeping out on her high horse. I moaned, running my hands through my hair and looking at the crumpled money._

_I would give so much for her to just go home with me, hold me like she used to when we were little and I got the flue. Stay with me when I started to get sick, holding my hair back. Making sure I was okay._

_It was just going to be another long, hard night alone._

I stood frozen in the doorway while Juliet looked at me with eyes full of fear and longing. I had been different the last few days, but in her mind Siobhan was about to go through the door and tell on her. Siobhan was never one for helping people, not when she got older. She was so high and mighty sometimes.

"I'm here." I promised suddenly. I closed the distance between us and put my arms on hers as I knelt next to her. "I'm not going anywhere." She didn't resist as I pulled her close.

Juliet's body shook with sobs, her bony elbows poking me. She was too thin to be healthy. Why didn't anyone notice?

"It's okay. You're going to be okay."

_Seven year old Siobhan's eyes were brimming with tears as I huddled against her. I had been sick all over the floor of the classroom and when everyone started to gasp and point I had run from the room and into the bathroom. Siobhan found me, helping in her simple childish way. "You're gonna be okay, Bee, I promise. I promise, okay? They won't remember in a few days, it wasn't your fault." She stroked my hair. "You'll be okay…" She cared so much about me. We were twins, we felt everything the other felt…she laughed, I laughed. I cried, she cried. If someone hurt me she would get back at them with a vengeance._

"It's okay…there you go." I murmured. Juliet was shaking.

I wondered what Siobhan had done to make Juliet hate her so much, to be so afraid of her and so alone she turned to what I had years ago. I wished that I could just make it all better now.

It was my turn to clean up Siobhan's mess, and I was going to do it right.

_I'm out on the edge and I'm screaming my name_

_Like a fool at the top of my lungs_

_Sometimes when I close my eyes I pretend I'm alright_

_But it's never enough_

'_Cause my echo, echo_

_Is the only voice coming back_

_My shadow, shadow_

_Is the only friend that I have_

**A/N: Please, please, PLEASE review and tell me what you think, I want to do other stuff similar to this.**


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